Hello everyone, about a month ago I decided that I wanted to do a Z06 widebody conversion on my stingray. I loved the widebody look of the z06, and I needed to be able to fit some wider wheels, but unfortunately there aren't many sources online on the parts you need, costs, or how exactly to get this done, so I decided that I would make a post for anyone who has been in a similar position and wants to do this at home. A common misconception is that buying a GS or Z06 is cheaper than doing the conversion, but this is completely false. I spent exactly $1460 on all the parts for the install, so the first thing I will talk about in this thread is parts and costs.

For this conversion, there are a few parts you'll need.
- Z06 rear quarter panels
- Z06 rear bumper
- Z06 rear splitter vents
- Z06 rear fender liner (optional)
-Z06 Rocker panel extension (optional)

yeah, that's it. Now keep in mind, there will be a slight gap between your rocker panel and the new wider quarter panels. Unless you want to go through the hassle of buying the rocker panel extensions and having to cut the body and bolt them on, I would keep it that way. After all, I enjoy the look of the widebody without rocker panels more because you can see the meaty tires from the front of the vehicle. I have listed a link to the rocker panels and attached a photo of how the widebody will look without it.
Widebody Z06 Brake Scoop | C7 Corvette Stingray | ACS Composite | 45-4-143



Let's get onto the costs of this installation. I spent $800 on the quarter panels which I found on Facebook marketplace. I spent $600 on the rear bumper which I found off Ebay. The rear splitter vents costed about $60 which I was able to buy through my local GM dealership. All of the body panels i purchased were different colors, so I was faced with the option of paint matching each panel to my current color (red), or I could wrap the entire car which is what I did. I used an Avery wrap and materials / installation of the wrap costed about $2200. this is pretty much all the stuff you would have to purchase to take the same route as I did. Now keep in mind, this is what I PAID. You can always save some money by finding cheaper parts or doing the wrap yourself, but cost will vary between people. when calculating the total costs with the wrap and everything included, I spent about $3660.

Now, let's get into some tips and instructions on how to install the parts. I didn't take pictures of the breakdown or install, so I will try to be as detailed as possible.

i would recommend having someone to help you take off the rear bumper. There are ten screws holding the bumper in at the top, 2-3 holding it on each bottom corner, one behind the trim piece on the taillights, four underneath the splitter, two right above the muffler and two behind the license plate and rear splitter markers. once you have taken all these screws out, pull on the bumper pretty hard, it should pop off. There will be tons of connectors holding it in place, so carefully take each connector out. The rear bumper has its own wiring harness, so if the z06 bumper you purchased does not have one on it, you will have to transfer everything over to it. (Rear camera, license plate lights, trunk release button, etc.). The hardest part for me was removing the wire that opens the trunk which is connected to the bumper. I got it out by sliding a flathead underneath it and prying. I had to use a lot of force so don't be scared to pull hard. This may not be the smartest way to do it, but it was all I had.

Once you have the rear bumper off, there are four screws at the top of the quarter panel, and three going down the door jam. the passenger side quarter panel should pop right out, but the driver's side has the gas cap which has a connector and a hose you will have to remove. once your quarter panel and rear bumper are off, you can begin installing the widebody.

First, put on the Z06 quarter panels. that should be pretty straight forward as it is only a few bolts. Once those are on, if you haven't already, transfer everything from your old rear bumper onto the Z06 rear bumper. make sure to transfer over the rear diffuser as well since that can be used on both Z06 and stingrays. Once you have transferred everything to the new Z06 rear bumper, put all the connections back together and bolt it back down.

Congratulations. You have installed the Z06 kit. There are a few things you may notice. For starters if you did not get the Z06 fender liner, you will notice a gap from the slim fender liner and the Z06 qp / rear bumper. Personally, this does not bother me, but it may for some. If you do get the fender liner but you don't get the rocker panel extensions, you will notice that the fender liner will stick out where the rocker panel is supposed to be. you can cut your wider fender liner with a saw Zaw and make it work with the slimmer rocker panel. Next, your quarter panels and rear bumper fitment may be a little iffy. THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN. after all, your installing panels on a car that aren't supposed to be there. there will be little gaps between the body panels. For me, i used zip ties underneath the quarter panel / rear bumper and it gave me an OEM finish that made me happy. I will attach photos of the fender liner gap below.



Lastly, I wrapped the vehicle. I have attached more photos so you can see how that came out, but overall, it took me about a week and a half's time of work, the labor was not super bad, took me about 3 hours to take everything off, transfer everything to the new z06 rear bumper and install everything again with the help of a friend. I by no means am a mechanic, and I thugged out the whole process using YouTube videos and common sense, so if I can do it, you can too. I hope I was able to help anyone who needed more info on doing this conversion. I will include before and after pictures so you can see the transformation.

 

Interesting project. Not sure I like the rear tire area, but it definitely presents a different look. Thanks for taking the time to post up what you did and the costs you incurred.

 

That was a great write-up and pictures! Thank you, for sharing.

 

Looks good outside of the rocker to quarter panel transition. Not feeling it.
Looks like a part fell off.

Great write up though.

 

Looks unfinished without the rear brake scoop panel.

 

I don't hate it but I don't love it. When I eventually do my widebody conversion. I plan on using oem front fenders and moulding them into the apperature panel. For the rear I'll probably just use the ACS kit but mould the vents in so they don't have a seam.

 

Since old threads get lost over time, this one is probably the gold standard (or nearly so) when it comes to a complete conversion. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...n-project.html

OP...The aforementioned thread may help you decide if you want to do a full conversion at some point.

I will say the rear fenders sort of remind me of the 1963 Grand Sports. I recall those 5 had a similar offset.

 

I actually looked at this before I did my conversion, but he really took the next step to doing a fully OEM conversion which probably costed him thousands of dollars. The intent of my post was to offer a cheaper and easier solution for people who don't want to spend that 6k-8k on body panels, painting and so on. Regardless though, His post is very informative, and I did take a few tips from his install.